Perfect Food for Dinner Egusi Stew/Soup & Eba.Wow

Egusi is simply ground melon seeds. It’s an off-white color and is normally cooked in soup or stew. This is the one soup/stew dish that I make on a regular. There are other ways to cook this dish, but when I’m feeling lazy or pressed for time, I just do it all in one pot…some other time, I’ll revisit this and cook it a different way.

To make this one-pot egusi soup/stew, you’ll need the following:

Goat meat… about 20 pieces (or meat of your choice)
1 cup ground egusi/melon seed
1 pack frozen chopped spinach leaves
1 cup shawa (dried fish) (soak in hot water for 15mins then remove bones)
1/2 cup palm oil
1/4 cup Goya Adobo seasoning
2 Knorr cubes
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
1 garlic clove (chopped)
Ginger (same size as garlic clove…chopped)
2 Bay leaves
1/4 cup curry powder
1/4 cup ground red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry/ ground red pepper
1/4 red onion (sliced)

1. Set stove to medium heat. Rinse meat and put in a medium/large pot. Add all the seasonings, except egusi, spinach, shawa (dried fish) and palm oil. Pour enough water in pot so that it covers all the meat. Boil on medium heat for at least 1.5 – 2 hours.

2. Pierce meat with a knife to check for softness. If the knife goes through with little pressure, follow the next step or let boil longer.

3. Add palm oil to boiling meat. Let boil for 5-10 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to low. Add ground egusi and stir thoroughly.

5. Add shawa. Let boil for at least 20 minutes (it should thicken somewhat because of the egusi).

6. Stir and add chopped spinach. Let cook for 5 minutes and turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

This is normally eaten with amala/elubo (yam flour), iyan (pounded yam) or eba (ground cassava/garri).

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Can you cook Fish Kebabs & Pasta? Learn Now

2 catfish fillets
1 tsp dried Basil
I tsp dried Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Goya Adobo w/ saffron
4 tbsps sweet chili sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper (not pictured)
1 tsp ground red pepper (not pictured)
1 tsp minced garlic (not pictured)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 s red onion
1/2 cup olive oil
4 wooden skewers
Angel hair pasta

1. Start by soaking the skewers in warm water for about 15 minutes (so it doesn’t burn in the oven).

2. Slice each fillet in half. For each half, cut into cubes/ small squares.

3. Cut the veggies into cubes. Put cubed veggies and fish into a bowl. Add all dry seasonings. Add minced garlic, sweet chili sauce and olive oil to fish and veggies. Mix together thoroughly. Let marinate in fridge covered for 15 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Once time is up, start putting veggies, fish, veggies, fish on the skewer… in that order (or however you prefer). Place some foil on a baking pan, spray with cooking oil spray. Put skewered kebabs on foil. Put into oven, let bake for 20 minutes.

5. Remove once done to prevent further cooking. Serve with angel hair pasta.

To make pasta:
Boil some shockingly salty water. Add 2 tbsps Goya sofrito. Add angel hair pasta. Let boil for 3-4 minutes (any longer and it will become mushy). Drain water. Serve while hot.

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How to reveal your eight-pack.

Coax out your core

The eight muscles hiding beneath your belly rarely emerge in perfect unison –  Often it’s necessary to target the upper or lower abs with specific exercises in order to shore up your symmetry. "To get a well-defined eight-pack you must target all your abs with adequate loading and controlled tempos, rather than just going through the motions with the typical easy core movements," says personal trainer Scott H. Mendelson who recommends one session specifically targeting your abs each week.

Beginner – Swiss ball leg lower

Lay with your back on the ground. Keep a 20-degree bend in your knees and squeeze a Swiss ball between your ankles. Raise the ball up and down while keeping your lower back pressed into the floor. “The focus is placed on the lower portion of the ab muscles by using the legs as a lever and maintaining proper lower back postural alignment,” says Mendelson. Do 3 sets of 6-8 reps.
Too easy? Start using a weighted ball.

Advanced – Swiss ball garhammers

Place your upper back on a Swiss ball with your head off the ball and hold on to a sturdy object such as a squat rack with your outstretched arms. With a 30-degree bend in the knees, lift your legs as high as they can go and back down to the ground. “Imagine bringing your knees to your chest without forcing your head posture to change from the neutral position,” advises Mendelson. “The origin of the movement pattern will recruit the lower section of the abs.” Do 3 sets of 4-6 reps.
Too easy? Straighten your legs for added challenge. 

Target: upper abs

Beginner – Feet elevated crunch

Lie with your back on the ground and your ankles on a bench, with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Place your hands on your ears, and not the back of your head, so they are not involved with the movement. Lift up your torso in a straight line and hold the contraction on top for two seconds, then lower over three seconds to the ground with no pause between reps. “Elevating the feet forces the upper cross section of the abs to activate throughout the movement, minimising involvement of other sections,” says Mendelson. Do 3 sets of 6-8 reps.
Too easy? Hold a medicine ball over your forehead to add loading. Use a 3 second contraction on top.

Advanced – Loaded Swiss ball crunch

Position the middle of your back on the Swiss ball with your feet firmly planted into the floor. Hold a weighted ball over your forehead and perform a crunch movement. “Do not flex your neck and aim to push the ball up with outstretched arms to expand the range of motion,” says Mendelson. Do 3 sets of 6-8 reps.
Too easy? Hold the ball with outstretched arms behind your head to reduce leverage.

Get constantly evolving workout and nutrition plans personalised for your specific needs and training goals

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thinking of something good for dinner?Edikaikong and fufu

Edikaikong is a Nigerian dish made from a variety of indigenous leafy green vegetables. The dish, literally translated, means ‘Pumpkin and Waterleaf Soup,’ and is native to the South Eastern part of Nigeria, more specifically, the people of Calabar state in that region.

Edikaikong is an incredibly rich vegetable soup as it involves the use of more than two vegetables. Typically, it is made with just Ugwu (Pumpkin leaves) and Waterleaves, however, I prefer to make it with 6 vegetables including the aforementioned two. In addition to it being rich, it is also a very labor intensive soup to make. It’s one of those soups that you make for special occasions or once a month for yourself.

From the way the name sounds, it might seem like a really complicated dish to make, but it really isn’t. If you know how to make regular vegetable soup, Efo riro, then you should be fine with this.

• 4-6 pieces cow’s foot
• 6-8 pieces goat meat
• 4-6 pieces fresh turkey
• 3 plum tomatoes OR 2 m/l tomatoes
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1 large red onion
• 1 head of garlic OR 8-10 cloves (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 6-8 scotch bonnet peppers/habanero peppers
• 4-6 cups palm oil
• 1 cup Canola oil (optional)
• 3 cups frozen Spinach
• 3 cups dried Oha leaves
• 2 cups dried Nchawu ‘scent’ leaves
• 3 cups dried Ugwu leaves
• 2cups dried Uziza leaves
• 3 cups dried Ukazi/Okazi leaves
• 5 knorr cubes
• 2 tbsps dried/ground red pepper

1. Rinse cow feet, add to pot, add enough water to cover feet. Let boil over medium heat for 2 hours (keep checking water levels, add water as necessary till soft)

2. Rinse goat meat and turkey, add to dry pot over medium heat, add 2 knorr cubes, ground pepper & bay leaf. Let sweat 10-15 mins (don’t add water)

3. After 10-15 minutes, add enough water to cover meats. Let boil over medium heat for 1.5-2 hours or till soft

4. While the meat/cow feet are boiling, chop up peppers ready for blending

 Add chopped peppers to blender with 1/2-1 cup water

6. Blend till smooth (pre-heat palm oil and canola oil while blending)

7. Palm oil and Canola oil mixture should be hot at this point

7b. Add blended peppers into oil, let boil for 30-45 minutes over medium heat

8. While meat and peppers are boiling away, boil some water in a separate pot

9. Once water boils, start working on ‘cleaning’ the vegetables. Starting with Ukazi, get 2 bowls: 1 for scooping out hot water and the other large enough to hold the vegetables. (Don’t turn the heat off, just reduce it to low.)

9b. Pour out the Ukazi leaves into the larger bowl, pour in enough hot water to cover the vegetables. Stir with a spoon for about 1 minute

10. Drain the Ukazi leaves from the hot water into a sieve

11. Once leaves are drained, rinse with cold running water 4-6 times (please don’t skip this step!)

12. Once rinsed 4-6 times, squeeze vegetables and transfer to a dry pot (no heat yet!)

13. Set that aside, move on to the next vegetable, Ugwu

13b. Pour out the Ugwu leaves into the larger bowl, pour in enough hot water to cover the vegetables. Stir with a spoon for about 1 minute

14. Drain the Ugwu leaves from the hot water into a sieve

15. Once leaves are drained, rinse with cold running water 4-6 times (please don’t skip this step!!)

16. Once rinsed 4-6 times, squeeze vegetables and transfer to a dry pot (no heat yet!)

17. Set aside, move onto the Oha leaves

17b. Pour out the Oha leaves into the larger bowl, pour in enough hot water to cover the vegetables. Stir with a spoon for about 1 minute

18. Drain the Oha leaves from the hot water into a sieve  

19. Once leaves are drained, rinse with cold running water 4-6 times (please don’t skip this step!!!)

20. Once rinsed 4-6 times, squeeze vegetables and transfer to a dry pot (no heat yet!)

20b. Don’t forget to check on boiling meats/cow feet and boiling peppers. Add water/turn heat down where necessary!

21. Repeat steps #9b-12 for the remainder vegetables (except Spinach!), Uziza…

22. and Nchawu ‘scent’ leaves

23. Once done cleaning the leaves, they should all be in a dry pot with no heat. Turn heat on to medium, stir often to mix up vegetables. Leave on heat for 15 minutes

24. While vegetables are on stove, meat should be tender. Transfer from stock into bowl with slotted spoon

25. Lightly deep fry (or bake) boiled meat

26. Return to boiling peppers, should be cooked at this point. Add remaining 3 knorr cubes, stir in thoroughly

27. Add fried meats and boiled cow feet to cooked stew till thoroughly coated

28. Turn heat off on vegetables and add to stew

29. Mix vegetables into stew thoroughly. Let cook over low-medium heat for 15 minutes. (Taste/chew vegetables to see if it’s tender/soft enough)

30. While the soup is cooking/simmering away, rinse and drain frozen spinach

31. Add drained spinach to soup

32. Mix spinach into stew thoroughly, let cook another 5-10 minutes over low heat

33. Once it’s done simmering, you have Edikaikong!

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Thai Green Curry with Fish. cook like a celebrity.

The exact species of fish is not important here, but it must be a firm fish. If you are in the East, seek out tautog, red drum or tilefish. If you are in the South, look for snapper, drum or cobia. In the Midwest, use chunks of northern pike. In the Pacific, halibut, California seabass or sheepshead and albacore are all good choices. And sharks — so long as you catch them yourself — are a good option anywhere. (I don’t support buying any shark except dogfish, as most species are being overfished.)

This curry comes together pretty quickly, so have everything cut and ready before you start. For the paste, if you have a good green curry recipe, go ahead and use it, but I just use mae ploy green curry paste. Most of the other ingredients are available in supermarkets, and if you can’t find them, you can skip them.

Serve this with steamed rice and a beer.

Serves 4-6.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, lard or vegetable oil
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass (optional)
• 1 tablespoon minced galangal root (optional)
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 3-4 tablespoons green curry paste
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into large dice
• 12-ounce can of coconut milk
• 1 pound skinless fish, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup fresh basil or cilantro, roughly chopped or torn
• Fish sauce, sugar and  Tabasco jalapeno hot sauce to taste

__________

1.  In a wok or a large saute pan, heat the peanut oil over high heat until it shimmers, then add the ginger, lemongrass, galangal and onion. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Mix in the curry paste, turn the heat down to medium-high and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the coconut milk and red pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Add fish sauce, Tabasco and sugar to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the fish and simmer another 5 minutes. Right before serving, add the fresh herbs.  Serve hot with rice.

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